Four Wine Guys and a Grill

By Kerry Newberry

Summer meals in Oregon often involve a back patio, a cooler of microbrews and banter around the barbecue. This season, OWP decided to seek out the perfect bottle of Oregon wine to uncork with foods hot off the grill. We found four guys willing to dish tips and duke out wine pairings for your next backyard feast.

Meet Jeff Groh, sommelier at The Heathman Restaurant & Bar; Jack Hott, sommelier at Castagna Restaurant; Jeff Moore, wine director at Wildwood Restaurant; and Andy Zalman, sommelier at Higgins Restaurant, wine experts who also happen to be part of the Dueling Sommelier Dinner Series this summer in Portland.

Groh, a grilling-maestro, begins by comparing the art of cooking meats on the fire and the art of winemaking: Working both can be hot and physically intensive, and they both attract insects, he said. “Both labors make you thirsty, and if you drink too much while you work, it does not go well,” he quipped. Certainly wise words to keep in mind.

For pairings, Groh suggests looking at the variability of the style of grilling.

“When the coals are super hot and creating a nice bit of char and caramelization of the meat, pair with a more fruit-forward, richer style of red, like a Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon,” he said. “The attributes in the wine help offset any bitterness in the charred beef or pork.

“If you grill over hardwood charcoal like mesquite, which is the only real way to grill (but I digress), you can pair a wine with less fruit and more game, earth and roasted fruit notes,” Groh continued. “These wines help complement the smoky element the hardwood creates. If the meats are marinated, then the acidity in the finished meat is normally high and there are more herbal flavors. Pairing to this type of preparation involves picking a wine with similar characteristics (think something like a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley).

For Moore, the meat of the matter begins with a New York Steak. “It is my favorite meat to grill, especially with a good mesquite charcoal.”

He suggests keeping it simple, seasoning with just a dash of salt and pepper. “Grilled steak is extremely versatile with a wide range of Oregon wines, from Syrah to Cabernet Sauvignon. Lately, I’ve been enjoying the 2005 Tyrus Evan Del Rio Vineyard Claret. This wine complements beef well with juicy notes of blackberry, cassis, dark cherry and lots of spice.”

Zalman, from Higgins, would make the Austrian George Riedel proud, focusing first on glassware.

“We’re outside, right? So do a favor for your guests and give them a large-bowled glass, one that can help them determine the bouquet,” he said. “It can be hard to nose and taste a wine outside, on the deck, in the yard. Then, think big! Grilled foods, especially when using coal or wood, need a big-boned wine to match.

“Distinctive wines are best with distinctive foods,” Zalman continued. “Dry-rubbed meats are often amazing in their intense, one-dimensional flavor, like, say baby-back ribs with a sweet barbecue sauce. With that, pairing a distinct, one dimensional wine is perfect, like a Columbia Valley Syrah or a Zinfandel.”

It’s not all about the big-body reds and beef, for many, grilled chicken is a summer mainstay.

“Rosé is always a solid match to a wide variety of foods. It has good fruit, clean acidity and is just fun to drink,” Zalman said. “Real men grill. Realer men drink Rosé.”

“I think grilling and winemaking have many things in common, but most central is that both require patience,” Castagna’s Hott said. “A perfectly grilled steak requires good charcoal, good wood chips and good steak. To put it simply: good materials,” he noted, sounding like the Lao Tzu of grilling.

“Winemaking is similar. One needs good vineyards, well-kept equipment and good fruit. A winemaker lets the fruit express its origins and its potential,” Hott continued. “Most of all, one needs to know when to act, and more importantly, to know when to do nothing.” (This might be the most Taoist statement on grilling ever made.)

“When matching wine and food, I like to think about the relative weights of the wine and food,” Hott said. “Grilling often involves full-bodied foods and techniques (think meat and fire), so I try to find full-bodied wines to match.

“Another approach is to match the flavors of the food to the wine. When grilling, all sorts of foundational flavors are in use (sweet barbecue, salty meats, etc.) I like to think about the flavor of the dish and then match or contrast that flavor with the wine.”

Hott’s top advice: Salty and spicy food pair well with off-dry whites, while bitter grilled flavors match well with tannic reds.

“Finally, have fun! Get a few different wines open and experiment.” ◊

Kerry Newberry is a Pinot-sipping, vineyard-hopping wine and food writer. She resides in Portland.

Every Wednesday through the winter has been assigned a theme, and Chef Martin and his staff will cook a menu and pair beverage to that theme, with Martin, Janet and the culinary team joining the party to talk about how the food was prepared, while you eat and drink amongst the valley's finest.
Our first dinner will be on January 10, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6):
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Join Remy for lunch on Thursdays in March! Lunch* and wine $20Reservations minimum 24 hours in advance, Seatings at 12, 12:30, 1:00. Please email Remy at info@remywines.com for reservations. Perfect for lunch meetings, a casual lunch with friends or a mini food and wine pairing experience.
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